Automatic device for landing aircraft



Oct. 14, 1952 A. M. TONNELE 2,513,839

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR LANDING AIRCRAFT Filed Nov. 7, 1947 2",SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. ANDRE MARIE Towns/.5

BY M

Oct. 14, 1952 TQNNELE 2,613,889

AUTOMATIC DEVICE FOR'LANDING AIRCRAFT Filed NOV. 7, 1947 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 I INVENTOR. M A DRE MARIE TONNELE Patented Oct. 14 1952 iAUTOMATICEDEV ICE FOR LANDING Y LAIRCRA FT Andr Marie. Tonnrl, Fez,iMoroc'co ApplicationNovember 7, 194.7;seria1iv6; 784,608 Y In Morocco June 23, 1947 My invention relates to" an" automatic safety arrangement for the landing or alighting of'seaplanes. Said arrangement is designed in a man- "ner such that the pilot may ascertain thespee'd of the aircraft at the moment of landing or 'alighting together with his 'distance'from the ground or water level as he'approaches same and *also the direction to be assumed so-as to land in opposition to the direction of the wind.

"The apparatus is chiefly characterized by' the- 'fact that it includes a rod pivotally secured at a suitable point of its length to a ball and socket joint arranged under the fuselage of the craft preferably onthe medial axis of the landing "gear, said rod being held during normal flight horizontally in a direction parallel" to the direction of progress of the craft with its longer section directed rearwardly. The front end of the rod is connected through a cable guided'over a suitable system of pulleys, with a control mem ber located'withinreach of the pilots hand, for instance on the instrument board of the craft.

This allows the pilot toplace" the rod vertically before landing or alighting, the longer section of the rod then being directed downwardly while the smaller section-enters the aircraft.

The cable controlling the rod is associated with a tensioning system the tension of which is calculated so as to balance the stress exerted on moves at a safe speed allowing l'anding or alighting, said balancing being obtained when the outer section of the rod is derected'towards the ground in a position that is substantially perpendicular to the path followed by the craft.

The cable controlling the rod includes attaching means for securing it to the joystick or the like member controlling the elevators of 'the craft; such member being thus connected kinematically with'the inner end of the rod where-' by the positions occupied by the latter in a vertical longitudinal plane under the action of aerodynamic forces or of the contact with the ground or water level defines positions of the joystick that correspond to the operation required by the circumstances that have brought the rod into the position considered.

Onthe other hand; the inner end of the'rod is capable ofacting through the agency'of a suitable reversing gear on the axis of the rudder bar when the rod is shifted to either side of a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the craft,which is the case when the rod has come into contact'with the'ground or water level and the craft is laterally shifted by reason 1 of the action of a gust of wind blowing in a di- 'rection' that tis oblique with'reference to. the path of the craft; thus any lateral shifting of Jtherod under such conditions'produces aimodi- 'flcation in'the position of'the rudder bar that Claims. (Cl. v?44---81) corresponds to the operation required ifor 'setting'the craft in the direction facing the' -wi'nd'.

' the rod by the resistance of air when the craft rudder bar.

The transmission means between the rodsand the control means 1 for the craft should? be tsu'fli- 'cient1y yielding soasto'allo'w the"pilot:'to-tresist 1 the stresses produced-by the rod;

Accompanying drawings, given out? solely by way of'exam'ples and being'by no means limiting,' illustrate a' practically possiblefornr (ifs-execution ofthe'invention. T In sai'd drawings:

Fig. 1 is a'diagrammatic view of an' aircraft provided with an arrangement accordin-giltoi'the invention and showing'two'positions of 711116 irod, respectively for normal fiight= -'and"for elanding purposes.

' Fig( 2 is adiagram' illustrating 'an 'example of a transmission gear between the movements? of said rod in the longitudinal vertical -plane of the machine and the joystick 'oflthe craft;

Fig.3 is a diagram"illustrating arn example of a transmissiongear for'the lateral'iiispla'cements of the rodtdbe transmitted to the' a xisi oftathe 'Figs. 4 and 5 resp'ectively. show;ionian-errlarged scale, details of 'the' stru'cture :of Fig. 2. l

In Figfzfthe rod is shown underneatlrithe body of the craft and it is pivbtallyf secured to a ball and socket joint 2 located on thexaitis of the landing'gear'3,

The longer section Ia 'of the rod I isrrdirected during normal 'flight towards" the rear' ofzithe craft, in a horizontal position"as"shown":at 1a' (Fig; 1). Its' length is such that when iti'. T111- rected towards: the ground in the' po'sition' -';|*a"

' as shown in"'Fig. its' liower .end ldrops' lower than the lower-plane of'the landing gearr3: irThe shorter section I bl of the rod I '(Fig;'.:2 extends to the inside of the fuselage andtisiirc'onnected therein to a-"cable' 4 pa'ssing over pulleysi5 and connecting the rod to 'a crank'ili"carried on the instrument board 1; As is shown in"l 'ig:fl5;uthe

the tensioning' means '8 being inserted crank 6 turns, throughv a" pair of" beveliigears, a

pulley on which-anerid' of the cable is wound, the length of thecablel, asillustrated.

Through operation' of the crank 6; their pilot may, before he lands; 'bring thei end? Id bfi'illhe rod' [from the position Iii into the positi'o This operation produces the' tensioningfrofi':the tensioning means 8 associated "witlith'ecable 4.

The tensioning means li 'is designed: so :as to balance the thrust 'of air-on'the section'ldrofc'the red I when the latter is 'in"its position"l'd and the craft moves at the safety speed allovvirig its landing. v I a As is" diagrammatically illustrated in 'Fig. 2,

f an elevator 20" is turnable about axis 2 hand is fixedly "connected to a} bar 2 2 which is pivotally rod I is in position la and moves to a position,

opposite to the joystick 9 when rod l is in position Ia". As is shown in Fig. 4, the attaching means In takes the form of. a spring clip riveted to the cable 4. The operation of this arrange ment is as follows:

When the craft is thus on the point of land-- ing and it has come suficiently near ground, the

"pilot acts, as disclosed on the crank 6 in order to bring the end la of the rod lfrom the position lato the position la" after which he secures the joystick 9 to the attaching means ID. The joystick is thus connected kinematically through the cable 4 to the end lb of the rod l. v

If the speed of the craft is now equal to the "safe speed for landing, the action of air on the rod is. counteracted by the tensioning means 8 and, as the cable 4 remains stationary, there is no-action exerted on the joystick that remains in the position a. corresponding to the vertical position A of the rod l (Fig. 2) until the rod l comes intocontact with ground. Said rod slopes then gradually towards the rear and its angular -movement produces then a corresponding rear- =ward movement of the joystick so as to produce thus automatically the elevator control required for landing purposes.

If the speed of the craft when nearing ground 'ishigher than safe speed foreseen for landing, the action of air pressure on the rod is greater than that of the tensioning means 8. The rod is urged rearwardly for instance into the position B which results in bringingthe joystick into the corresponding position b that controls the rise of the craft.

Lastly, if the speed of the craft is less than safety speed when nearing ground the action of the'tensi'oning means 8 predominates over the thrust of air-on the rod and draws the latter forwardly for instance into the position C. To Esaid position of, the rod corresponds the position c'of the joystick at which the downward movement of the craft is accelerated. This ac- "celeration lasts until the rod meets the ground "and is returned into the position A so as to allow landing.

Through this arrangement,-the pilot is informed as to the speed of his craft and its dis- "tance from ground'at the moment of landing and the operations required by the circumstances :are executed or at least initiated automatically.

The end lb of the rod l is fitted between the two arms of a fork ll (Fig. 3) secured to they axis of a pulley l2.

tensioning device l4. Said cable I3 is wound in succession round the pulley l2 and round the axis l5 of the rudder bar l6. As isdiagrammati-cally illustrated in Fig. 3,the Wires 21 ex-' tend from the rudderbar, l6 about the guide 'ppulleys 21 and are connected to the rudder 28 which is turnable about axis 29 in accordance with the movement of the rudder bar Hi.

This arrangement has for its object to set the apparatus against the windwhen the landing A cable [3 is secured'at one "end to the pulley l2 and at its other end to a The attaching means Ill is located'i 4 The craft is supposed to land in the direction of its longitudinal axis I! (Fig. 3), the direction of the wind being that illustrated by the arrow V. This shiftszthe craft to the left. When the lower end of the rod l comes into contact with the ground it is therefore deflected towards the right, and the upper end lb of said rod causes the fork I l to pivot towards the left. The pulley l2 rotates consequently towards the left and causes the axis [5 of the rudder bar to pivot towards the right; the right hand pedal on said rudderbar is thus thrust forward which causes the craft to turn clockwise whereby the machine has a tendency, to be set in a direction facing the wind. As soon as the craft lies exactly facing the wind, the rod lies again in the heading direction and its action on the rudder bar ceases.

Such adevice automatically restores the craft into its proper setting with reference to the wind.

The transmission means between the rod on one hand and the joystick and rudder bar on the. other may be yielding in order to allow the pilot to oppose, if required, any stresses transmitted by the rod or to compensate them if "itakes place in a direction that is oblique with 1 s reference to that of said wind. Its operation is as follows:

necessary. The rod may in its turn be constituted so as to have a certain amount of yieldability.

The above described arrangements are designed so as to be mounted on an aircraft but it is apparent that they may as well be adapted for use, with very little modifications, on a seaplane or amphibian machine. 1

My invention is obviously not limited to the example of execution that has been described and illustrated.

It is possible to resort if required to other forms of execution without widening the scope of my invention as defined in appended claims.

It is also possible according to circumstances and to practical requirements to vary the details of construction and assembling.

On the other hand, the various parts or arrangements described or illustrated by way of mere examples may be replaced by others playing the same part or producing the same result.

What I claim is:

1. In an airplane, automatic operating means for operating the rudders during landing comprising in combinationuniversal pivoting means secured to the body of said airplane; an elongated operating member having a trailing bottom end and being held freely turnable by said universal pivoting means and normally extending in operative position vertically downward beyond the horizontal plane tangent to the lowermost portion of the wheels of said airplane and having an actuating portion spaced from said trailing bottom end of said operating member; and rudder operating means operatively connected with said actuating portion of said elongated operating member in such a manner as to be actuated by movement of the same out of the vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of said airplane and proportionately to such movement.

2. In an airplane, actuating operating means for operating the rudders during landing comprising in combination universal pivoting means secured to the body of said airplane; an elongated operating member having a trailing bottom end and being held freely turnable by said universal pivoting means at a point'intermediate its ends so as to have a normally upwardly projecting actuating portion and a portion normally projecting downward beyond the horizontal ear-erases -o'ting means -securedt thewbddyof saidairplane;

i1 elongated operating I ottomenda'nd; being li'eldfreely turn'able by: said eyond the horizontal plane tangent'to the-lowermost portion: of; the 'wheels or said airplane and ai ing an actuating portion spaced from I said ailing bottomend-of said operating member; udder operating means-joperatively connected th said; actuating-portion cream elongated optatd by 'movement-"of the same out of'the vertical plane passing through' the' longitudinal axis ofv' said l-airplane and I3 proportionately to such movement and elevatoroperating means op eratively connected witlr' s'aid actuating portion of s 'd'bperating member'in'such a'man-ner' as'to be I ac uated by movenfrent bf-the sameout-- of the g'itudinal axis-of'said' airplane andproportionateytosuchmovem'ent.

4-: I n an airplana -actuating operating means I t or operating.the rudders and elevators? during -'-landing comprising'in combination' universal pivoting meanssecured to-the'body'of-said airplane;

'anblongatedoperating member having atr'ailing fibo'ttom -end and being held freely turnable by ""said universal j'pivotin'g means-"at I a" point hintermediate-fits ends so as to have a normally; upward'ly p'rojecting actuating portion: anda por- -*tion""normally projecting downward'lbeyond' the *hdrizontal 'plane tangent to-ithe' "lowermost porerating means 'opera'tively :connected with. said j upwardly*proj ecting' actuatingportion of said operating member-in such-a'manner as to be actuated by'movementbf thesame out ofthe vertical for operatingthe rudders and elevators during,

landing comprising in"COmbiI1atiOIl universal pivoting means secured to the body of said airplane; an elongated operating'member'having a trailing ri'bottomacend and; abeing heldi freely .xturnable by said universal pivoting meanseand normallyiextending-finmoperati-ve positi'on' -rvertically downward beyond the horizontal plane tangent tothe 7 lowermost portion of the*whee1s of said airplane tand 'havingan actuating portion spacediifrom' said trailing"bottomond-of said operating'member; rudder operating means operatively connected with said actuating portion of said elongated operating member in such a manner as 75 -memb'ei" h swing a trailing niversal' pivoting means 'and norma'lly extend-v n'gl'inoperative: position vertically downward v rating rnember iir'sucha manner'astd be actuveI'ti'caI plane passing through said universal pivting mea ns-an'd -perpendicularly across the lon- I rtoob r he; svertical'zplane:;:passingzthroughcethe longituildilialBXis orrsaidzairplanegand: proportionatelmto v= such rmovement; :soperatingzimeans operatively 6 zrconne'cted with said:actuatingvportiorriof.saidop- "1 crating member iin' 'such armanner;;as-:.t;be.;actuatcLby movement ofithel-sametoutroflthe vertical i'ziplane passing'sithrough :said'. xmiiversalztpivoting means and perpendicularly: acrossxthezlongitudb v loanahaxis' -0f= said -airplanei:and proportionatelyr:to an'ding -comprisinggin combination universal piv- I e' 'such movement andr'res'ilientrmeans 'urgingsaid operating member into? a :substantially: straight verticaln positiom the vsaid resilient means; having a? :Eorce sufii'cient to: overcome the, air' resistance 16- at'a predetermined speed ofqsaidfairplane. I

6. In am airplane sactuatingz operatingi'means for operating the Tl'ldders and elevators during glanding comprisingin' combination universal pivoting means secured to the body of said-airplane; 20-' an elongated operating member having a trailing pbott om-end and being-heldifreely turnable 'by J said universal ,pivoting means at .i a point intermediate" its ends -SO aSTt0 have a normally upwardly projecting actuating portion and a" portionnormally'projecting' d'OWnWard' bey t I? h'orizontaL plane' tangent to the lowermost portion of the wheels of-the"airplane; rudder operating meansoperatively connected with said-upwardly projecting actuating*portionof said-opera'ting member in sucha* manner as to be actuated' by movement 'o'fthe same out ofthe-vertical plane passing through the 1ongitudinalais"of said airplane and-proportionately tosuch movementp elevator operating means operativelyc'onnected with said upwardly projecting actuating portion of said operatingmember in such a -manner as tobeactuated -by' movement of the same out of the -vertical plane.passingthroughfsaid universalpivoting means and; perpendicularly across the 'longitudi-nalaxis of-said airplarie and propo'rticnately to suchaxial "movement l and -resilient" means urging said operating member into a substantially straight vertical positionfthe "said resilient 'm'ean'shaving aiorce sufficient to plane :an elongated operating member 7 having a trailing-bottom" end and being held freely turn- I able by said universal; pivoting means and-"nor- -""r na-lly extending'in operative position vertically downward' beyond the horizontal plane tangent to "the lowermostportiouof the wheels" of said airplane-and having an actuating portion spaced -fro'm 'said-*trailing bottom end o'f -said operating I member; rudder operating means oper' ely connected with said actuating portion' of said elon-gat'ed I operating member in such" a manner as to- 'be actuated lay-movement of the:"sar'ne'out j of the ve'rtic'al 'planepass'ing through the longitudinal' axis'of said airplane'arid proportionately to such movement; elevator operatingmeans operatively "connected-"with "said-1 actuating portion or-said operating member in such-a manner as to'be actuated:by:mbyement ofthe sameiout of "the vertical'plane passing through'l'said universal 0 pivoting means and; perpendicularly ,across.;.the f-longitu dinal axis; of said airplane and ,lprlonor- 'tion'atelv' to "such "movement; "and meansior swinging said operating member at will so as to retract and project the same.-

e (actuated bmmcuementionthezrsameioutgof eans 8. In an airplane, automatic operating means foroperating the rudders and elevators during landing comprising in combination universal pivoting means'secured'to the-body of said 'airplane; an elongated operating member having a trailing bottom ,end and :being held freely turn able by said universal pivoting means and "normally extending "in operative position vertically "downward beyond the horizontal plane tangent -to-the lowermost portion of the wheels of said airplaneand having an actuating portion spaced' Pfrom said trailing bottom end of said operating imember; connected with said actuating portionof said 1 elongated operating member in such a manner rudder operating means operatively as to be actuated by movement of the sameout of the vertical plane passing through the longi- 1 tudinal axis of said airplane and proportionately to such movement; elevator operating means operatively connected with said actuating portion of said operating member in such a manner as to be actuated by movement of the same out-of the verticalplane passing through said universal pivoting means and perpendicularly across the longitudinal axis of said airplane and proportionately to such movement; resilient means urging said operating member into a substantially straight vertical position, the said-resilient means having a force sufiicient to overcome the air resistance at a predetermined speed ofsaid airvlplane; and means for-swinging said operating; 1 member at will so-as to'retract same. I I I 9. Inan airplane, actuating operating means for operating the rudders and elevators during landing comprising in combination universal pivoting means secured to the body of said airplane; an elongated operating member having a .i trailing bottom end and being held freely turntable by said universal pivoting means at a point intermediate its ends so as to have anormally upwardly projecting actuating portion and a por- Wtion normally projecting downward beyond the horizontal plane tangent to the lowermostportion of the wheels of the airplane; rudder operatl ing means operatively connected with saidupwardly projecting actuating portion of said ope'ratingmember in such a manner as to be ac- L tuated by movement of the same out of the vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of: said-, airplane and proportionately to such movement; elevator operating meansoperatively connected with saidrupwardly projecting actuating; portion of said operating member in such a manner as to be actuated by movement of the same out of the vertical plane passing through saiduniversal pivoting means and perpendicularly across the longitudinal axis of said airplane and proportionately to such movement; resilient means urging said operating member'into a substantially-straight vertical position, the saidre- ,silient means having a force sufficient to overcome the air resistance at'a predetermined-speed offl said airplane; and means for swinging said operatinglmember at will so as to retract and project the same.

10. In an airplane, automatic operating means for. operating the rudders and elevators during landing comprising in combination universal pivoting means secured to the body of said airplane; an elongated operating member having a trailing bottom end and being held freelylturniableby said universal. pivoting means and norand project the of, the vertical plane passing through said i 8 ma'llyextending :in operative position, vertically downward beyond thehorizontal plane tangent 'to the-lowermost portion of the wheels of said airplane and having an actuating portion spaced from said trailing bottom end of said operating member; rudder operating means operatively connected with said actuating portion or said elongated operating 'member in such a manner as to be actuated by movementofthe same out of the vertical plane passing throughthe longitudinal'axis of said airplane and'propor-ti-onately to, such movement; elevator operating means operatively connected with-said actuatingportion of said operatingmember in such a manner as to be actuated by movement of the same out versal pivoting means and perpendicularly across the longitudinal axis of said airplaneand pro-' portionately to such movement; a manually operated actuator; and a mechanical connection between said actuator and said operative connection of said elevator operating means and actuat-v file of this patent: I

ing portion whereby the elevators may manually be actuated so as to retract and project at will said operating member. a,

11. In an airplane, automatic operatingmeans for operating the rudders-and elvatorsduring landing comprising in combination universalpivoting means secured to the body of saidairplane; an elongated operating memberhaving a trailing bottom end and being held freely turnableeby said universal pivoting means and normally extending in operative position vertically downward beyond the horizontal plane tangent to the lowermost portion of .the wheels of said airplane and having an actuating portion spaced fromsaid trailing bottom end of said operating member;

rudder operating means. operatively connected with saidactuating portion of said elongated operating member in such a manner as tobe acv tuated by movement of the same vout of the-vertical plane passing, through the longitudinal axis of said airplane and proportionately to" such movement; elevator operating means operatively connected with saidactuating portion of said ,operating member in such a manner as to be actuated by movement of the same out of thevertical plane passing through said universal pivoting means and perpendicularly across the longitudi- -nal axis of said airplane and proportionatelyv tov such movement; a manually operated actuator; a mechanical connection between said actuator and said operative connection of said elevator operating means. and actuating portion whereby the elevators may manually be actuated so as to retract and project at will said operating mem her; and resilient means forming partoflsaid mechanical connection urging said operating member into a substantially straight verticaliposition, the said resilient means having a ,force suflicient to overcome the air resistance at a predetermined speed of said airplane.

ANDRE MARIE TONNElllil. 

